You know you need a site, or maybe that the one created in 2002 isn’t serving your purposes anymore. Now it’s 2010, we’re steadily approaching Web 3.0 (even though no one is exactly sure what that is) and suddenly there are literally gazillions of options available. Really. That’s the technical term. Gazillions.

Where to start?

The answer to that question might be where not to start. As a web developer with 12 years experience building and maintaining so many sites I’ve lost count, I feel fairly qualified to give advice. My first word of advice is don’t use your web hosting company’s free site builder tool. While I can’t honestly speak for ALL of them, I can speak for MOST of them and they’re usually poopy. (Again, that’s the technical term.)

Why? Because they’re cookie cutter technologies that usually don’t have decent SEO (search engine optimization) functions built in, the templates are often straight out of the 90’s and when it comes time to build a REAL website, you will likely have to scrap everything you’ve done. That’s because these proprietary systems are often quite unfriendly when it comes to how they write code — they don’t play well with others. I’ve had to rebuild quite a few sites from clients who started out with one of these free template sites and let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty.

The second major piece of advice is don’t use Flash. Unless you want a site that’s like a big fancy store that people can peer through the windows but no one can enter, don’t use this Google-prohibitive technology. While Google claims to be able to read the content inside Flash movies, they simply cannot be optimized for search results in any meaningful way.

Finally, the third and final suggestion for today (carpal tunnel is setting in)… find a human being to work with. Yes, there are other types of free awesome wow that’s totally amazing site building thingies online, but chances are, if you find someone to actually talk to, you’ll get a lot more out of it, for what should be, but are not always, obvious reasons. Simply put, web designers are humans with real experience. They can recommend new technologies to you faster than you can find them on your own, they have tons of experience working with other clients and will often see hidden opportunities available to your business than you’d ever dream of.

PHP is a server side scripting language that allows you to create some of the most beautifully dynamic and interactive websites out there, and if you can use it, you can go straight to the top when it comes to getting web design work. However, getting your foot in the door isn’t simply a matter of knowing how to do the work; not only do you need to know PHP inside and out, you are going to need to prove to potential clients and employers that you have the knowledge as well! The truth of the matter is that when you are looking to get hired for web design work, you are not always dealing with people who will recognize your experience or your knowledge; this is where having PHP certification can help.

In the first place, what does PHP certification consist of? In many cases, when you are looking at getting certified, you are going to need to know both PHP and SQL (primarily MySQL – which is a standard for accessing database systems). These are the two subjects that you need to be aware of and that you need to be comfortable with, and you will find that these two subjects give you the foundation of a good web development expertise. When you are looking to prove to the people in charge that you are capable of doing the work that they want, PHP certification will show that you are proficient in both of these topics.

If you are looking to get started with PHP certification, you will find that the major provider of recognized PHP certification is going to be Zend. Zend certification will test your knowledge of PHP, and even better, it is going to test you with regard to real world job functions. For the positions where certification in PHP is required, Zend certification is going to be the one that allows you to stand out and to strut your stuff. It is important to remember that having the certification itself will allow you to get your foot in the door. The Zend certification for PHP is a little pricey (around $125 at the last look), but it is important to remember that you should see this as an investment in your future employability. Just think how much more salary you can get out of your present or future employer.

When you are thinking about getting PHP certified, remember that you are likely going to need to be competent with both PHP and SQL (MySQL). Also remember that the exam is practical, and that some preparation is essential. Taking the exams unprepared will be a problem for anyone, even if they are very comfortable with these topics, and this is where training materials and practice exams can come in. Consider what your options are and what you can do to get the results that you are after.

Achieving a PHP certificate can be something that makes a huge difference to the way that you are moving forward and the shape that your career in PHP development takes. If you want to get ahead and get yourself PHP certified, then make sure you check out the resources at this PHP certification info site before you rush into it. This site will let you explore some of the other benefits of PHP certification and give you some of the resources you’ll need also.

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There are a lot of different websites that can help you with the designing of the websites. You should try to find the firms that can help you in having the finest looking website that is laden with the right set of features too.

There are a lot of firms that work in the field of website development. The type of website you have would play a huge role in determining the kind of affect it would have on your sales. So, if you really want to improve your business and you are looking to have the perfect online business, it is time you concentrate upon the website that you have.

If you are not skilled in the process of making a website, you can always seek help from web development firms as they have the perfect blend of skill and experience and thus they can make some of the finest websites that would impress your customers.

While making website, one has to be sure of the quality and style as well. Whatever style you choose, you need to make sure that it is in conformance with the theme of the business because a mismatched layout would fail to impress your customers.

So, the thought process that goes in making of websites is extensive. You need to make sure that you are delegating work to the right website design firms as it will continue to be of paramount importance all throughout your business cycle.

So, the first step in the field of online business has to be setting up the best website that is laden with the right features and can stand good traffic levels and work fine with it as well. So, explore the work that the different firms have been doing and choose the ones that can bring you rich dividends.

The best website design firms are those that are aware of the intricate details of web designing. They explore the areas in which the firm works, their past work experience, the track records and so on. After they have assimilated all these details, they then chalk a plan as to which designs shall look best for the firm and it is after careful analysis that they come up with befitting designs.

So, be very sure of the company that is excelling in this sphere. You need to watch out for the price factor as well, but even though the company may charge a little higher amount, do not compromise with quality because a poor web design can bring down the entire sales of your firm and wreck huge destruction on the way you want to carry out business.

So, after you have a good and well planned website, you can start promoting your firm and there are companies that provide SEO services along with website development. So, if you want to avail both the services, you should look for companies that can provide both the packages and thus you may benefit from it.

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